The money Japan promised in the "comfort women" agreement Monday won't be paid unless the symbolic comfort women statue in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul is removed, a Japanese government source said, casting a shadow over the historic deal.

The text agreed by Seoul and Tokyo does not make removal a precondition for provision of funds.

The condition was set by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the source said Wednesday, amid looming domestic opposition to the use of public funds to help the ianfu (comfort women) while the statue remains.